The 2010 NFL Season had more ups and downs than all the roller coasters in Cedar Point combined! We love roller coasters and since the NFL season had just as many thrills and chills, we thoroughly enjoyed these past months on the gridiron. Here are just a few of our favorite highs and lows….

High Points:

Michael Vick’s comeback!

This is no doubt the “feel good” story of the year. Vick’s phenomenal performance after being incarcerated on dog fighting charges and being relegated to back up behind both Donovan McNabb and Kevin Kolb could truly be a movie script. The perfect ending may have to wait, though. Only a Super Bowl Championship seems like the larger than life finale fitting Vick, Andy Reid and the Eagles.

Ndamukong Suh PAT attempt

In early November in a game vs. the NY Jets, 307 pound Ndamukong Suh, a rookie tackle for the Detroit Lions, lined up for the extra point attempt after the starting kicker got injured. While he missed the extra point, the sight of Suh making the attempt was definitely a highlight of the 2010 season!

Celebration dance by B.J. Raji

In the NFC title game vs. the Bears, Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji intercepted a Bears pass and “ran” 18 yards for a TD. His hula hoop-like dance was one of the most amusing, fun moments of the playoffs! Click below to see Raji in motion.

The Chicago Bears

The Bears made it to the NFC title game, despite the preseason prediction by most pundits who beleived they were a below average team with little hope. In 2009, they went 7-9 and had failed to make the playoffs for the third consecutive year. The Bears ended the 2010 season at 11-5. Some people believe that luck was a big factor in their winning season, as they faced a number of back up QBs and a 7-9 Seattle Seahawks team in the playoffs. In Week 1 against the Lions, a Detroit TD was overturned by a little known, controversial call with just a minute to play, giving the Bears the win. Lucky or not, it was good to see the Bears return to the playoffs once again!

Aaron Rodgers

The Packers’ QB finally emerged from Brett Favre’s shadow. His stellar play this season earned the Packers a Super Bowl Championship, but nearly as important, gave Rodgers the recognition he deserved. During the regular season, he earned a passer rating of 101.2 – the third best in the NFL. He also ranked third in rushing yards by a QB. In the post season, Rodgers had a passer rating of 109.8 and showed his composure and exceptional ability to read defenses. What we love most about the Aaron Rodgers 2010 story is that in addition to being a great QB, he seems to be a genuinely good guy as well!

Low Points:

Mike Shanahan

Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan started a streak of behavior in October that slowly spiraled into a complete lack of respect for veteran QB Donovan McNabb by the end of the season. Trailing by 6 and with less than 2 minutes left in a game against Detroit, Shanahan benched McNabb and put in back up Rex Grossman. On the next play, Grossman fumbled the ball, Detroit returned it for a TD. After that fiasco, most coaches would have tried to apologize for their poor decision. But Shanahan went in front of the media and awkwardly tried to explain his decision by first claiming he benched McNabb because he didn’t feel he could run the 2 minute offense. His statement was perceived as a criticism of McNabb’s intellectual ability by many in the public, so Shanahan changed his reason, stating that he actually thought McNabb didn’t have the physical endurance to effectively run the two minute offense. Later, he modified his statement once again and claimed McNabb was suffering from sore hamstrings. The tension between Shanahan and McNabb was quite evident. Later, with only 3 games left in the regular season, Shanahan benched McNabb in favor of Rexman and actually publicly demoted him to 3rd string. The Redskins had a myriad of problems this season. But it appears that Shanahan chose to focus on McNabb rather than recognize other issues hurting the team, including the coaching staff and their poor decision making over the course of the season.

Peyton Manning’s streak of INTs

11 INTs over a three game span brought forth criticism about Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning. Some questioned his age, while others questioned his ability. Manning had to deal with a porous offensive line, a slew of injuries to his receiving corps and no running game all season. Despite his 4700 yards of passing this year, Peyton could not carry the team alone. But to question Manning’s ability is absurd and short sighted. It was one of the low points in the season for us, but Manning himself seemed unscathed by his critics. That focus and drive makes him one of the game’s all time greatest QBs!

Vince Young meltdown

In a game vs. the Redskins, Young injured his hand. When Titans coach Jeff Fisher put back up Kerry Collins in, Young became agitated and a childish tantrum ensued. He paced the sidelines, swearing and mumbling to himself, and then tossed his shoulder pads and jersey into the stands as he stormed into the locker room at the end of the game. That day was his last as the Titans’ starting QB. Owner Bud Adams recently announced that Young will not be on the roster next season. He will either be traded or released.

Inconsistent fines by the NFL

The NFL established a reactionary, subjective policy early in the season in response to a number of head injuries. While we applaud their efforts to protect players, this policy fell short and needs to be revamped before next season.

Super Bowl XLV seat fiasco

In the most technologically advanced and extravagant stadium in the history of football, Jerry Jones’ Cowboys Stadium came up short on the most important day for the NFL. 400 fans attending the Super Bowl were unable to be seated because their seating area was not completed in time. The seats were valued at $800 and the NFL issued a refund of $2400 to each of those affected. Fans had the option to watch the game in the $350 “Standing Room Only” section or on monitors in the North Field Club. Despite these allowances by the NFL, fans were understandably upset. There is no excuse for incomplete seating areas in a venue like the Super Bowl!

New York Jets Tripping

The Jets Strength and Conditioning coach, Sal Alosi, admitted he intentionally tripped Miami’s Nolan Carroll as he raced down the sideline on punt coverage. Alosi’s role in the NFL was to help players become physically stronger and healthier, yet he showed a complete lack of judgment when he tried to trip an opponent running at full speed. Alosi was subsequently fined and suspended by the Jets. Later, the NFL levied a $100,000 fine against the Jets. Alosi announced his resignation from the team January 31st.

The NFL’s decision to postpone the Eagles vs. Vikings game

In late December, the NFL postponed the Eagles/Vikings game because of a predicted winter storm expected to dump 18 inches of snow on the city. Since when does FOOTBALL get postponed due to weather? This isn’t soccer and the NFL set a bad precedent by postponing the game when both teams were in the city and capable of playing. Vince Lombardi must have turned over in his grave!

We hope you have enjoyed our review of our favorite ups and downs of this past season. It truly was an exhilarating ride, but like any good roller coaster, seemed much too short!

Today will determine who will be going to the Super Bowl on February 5th. Will the Chicago Bears win today in the longest rivalry in the history of the NFL? Or will the Green Bay Packers represent the NFC and make a run for the ultimate title? In the AFC, will the Steel Curtain be lowered on the Jets or will New York find a way to soar above Pittsburgh’s tough, stingy defense? Whatever the outcome, this is shaping up to be an electrifying day for gridiron fans! Here’s our take on who emerges victorious today.

Chicago has home field advantage, but we think the Packers’ overcome the crowd, weather conditions and the Bears’ defense and win in a close game. Aaron Rodgers is playing phenomenal football and we think he will do whatever it takes to win the game. The keys to a Green Bay victory are…

Keeping the game from being one dimensional. Most of the season, the Packers relied almost exclusively on Aaron Rodgers and the passing game. When they found a running game, they became a much more balanced offense that is simply harder to defend. The Bears have the #2 rushing defense in the NFL, which will make it a real challenge for Packers RB James Starks.

The Packer’s defense needs to pressure Bears QB Jay Cutler. Last week against the Seahawks, Cutler had 274 yards passing and 2 TDs, but that was against a Seahawks defense that did little to pressure him. The Bears have the #5 pass defense in the league, which means Cutler will be facing a much different situation than he did last week.

The Packers need to stop Matt Forte. Forte poses a threat as a running back and a wide receiver and is peaking at just the right time. If the Packers don’t have an answer for Forte, he may just win the game for the Bears – especially given the frigid, wintry conditions expected at Soldier Field today. Since the Packers are better at pass defense than run defense, Forte could be a real game changer.

The Jets/Steelers game is a tough one to call. Big Ben has the experience to take the Steelers into the Super Bowl and is hard to pick against. But the Jets are coming off a huge upset win against the Patriots and sometimes sheer momentum is enough to beat even the toughest opponents. We pick the Jets in what should be another close one! For our prediction to come true here is what has to happen.

Real pressure on Big Ben. Last week the Jets defense pressured Tom Brady, causing him to lose his rhythm. Big Ben has the physical size, strength and mobility to escape that pressure. For the Jets to win, they MUST find a way to disrupt the two-time Super Bowl winning QB.

Contain strong safety Troy Polamalu and head hunter linebacker James Harrison. If the Jets cannot control these two defensive dynamos, Sanchez is in for a very long day – much of it on the ground looking up at the sky!

Make Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson key components in the offensive game plan today. For the Jets to win, they must run a balanced offense, using their two RBs and using a game plan that allows Sanchez to make quick, short throws downfield. This will be an enormous challenge, given the relentless rush defense of the Steelers.

Given all these seemingly impossible tasks, why have we picked the Jets over the Steelers? Jets coach Rex Ryan has lost two AFC Championships in a row and simply won’t tolerate a third. Combined with the momentum the Jets are on after last week’s defeat of the Patriots, we think he and his team will back up their season long tough talk with a victory over the favored Steelers.

Tomorrow’s AFC Championship game has two high profile quarterbacks – New York Jets QB Mark Sanchez and Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger. When it comes to a title game, who would you rather have on your team?

Big Ben and Mark Sanchez are light years apart in public image. Roethlisberger’s off the field problems – careless motorcycle driving, two different accusations of sexual assault and a possible drinking problem – have given him a bad boy image. His QB performance this season has certainly helped repair that image somewhat, but if he doesn’t take the Steelers to the Super Bowl, we have to wonder if fans will once again be reminded of his misdeeds.

Sanchez, on the other hand, has somewhat of a golden boy image. His wholesome looks, combined with his Southern California roots, make him the perfect candidate for a Hollister ad campaign. Not only can he pull off a sun-kissed, fun loving surfer image, but he also embraces his refined, cultural side as well. This past summer, he appeared at the Tony Awards and introduced a song from a Broadway musical, while admitting that he is a big fan of theatre and the arts since moving to New York. Talk about a multi-faceted personality!

Both Roethlisberger and Sanchez were first round draft picks. Sanchez was the 5th overall pick in 2009. When drafted, he had only 16 starts under his belt as a USC Trojan. He started only one season, but led the Trojans to a 12-1 record and Rose Bowl Championship. In his first year with the Jets, he took his team to the playoffs, but ultimately lost to the Colts in the AFC Championship game. He became the 4th rookie QB in NFL history to win his first playoff game and the 2nd to win two playoff games in his rookie year.

Despite only 2 years in the NFL, Sanchez exudes the confidence of a much more experienced player. Perhaps his poise and leadership skills can be traced to his childhood. Sanchez’s father – a former Army Sergeant and fire department captain – believed in teaching his son how to think quickly and to be a leader. As a child, Sanchez mastered these skills by doing drills such as dribbling a basketball without looking – while reciting multiplication tables. Sanchez’s father would have Mark stay after practices and do these drills in order to learn how to concentrate and think fast in a pressure situation – two skills that are serving him well as the NY Jets QB.

Roethlisberger was the 11th pick in the 2004 draft. When drafted, he had 3 years of experience playing at Miami University of Ohio. He broke every major record at the university and dominated the Mid-American Conference as well. Since he started playing for the Steelers in 2004, Big Ben has compiled an impressive resume, too numerous to list. Some of his major accomplishments include 2004 Offensive Rookie of the Year, a Pro Bowl Selection in 2007, and oh, by the way, TWO Super Bowl Championships! Big Ben was the youngest starting QB to ever win a Super Bowl.

Sanchez may have had an upbringing that helped him develop leadership and quick thinking skills. But Roethlisberger clearly has the advantage when it comes to playoff experience, where those types of skills are truly tested. He has a 9-2 playoff record, compared to Sanchez’s 4-1 playoff record. Another advantage Big Ben has is his 6’5” 240 pound frame that makes him a real challenge for defenders to bring down.

So, which QB would you want on your team tomorrow? If we were only choosing based on likeability, Mark Sanchez – the California surfer with a love for Broadway – wins hands down. But if we want to have the best chance of winning the game, Big Ben is our man. His size, combined with his playoff experience, arm strength and mobility, make him our choice for this fabulous AFC Championship game.

As we gear up for this weekend’s NFL Conference Championships, we plan to take a look at some of the intriguing players and plots among the Steelers/Jets and Packers/Bears. Today we highlight New York Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes.

Holmes was drafted by the Steelers in 2006 in the first round. He was both a receiver and a punt returner. Holmes went on to become the Super Bowl MVP in 2009, when he caught the game winning TD with 35 seconds left in the 4th quarter to give the Steelers their 6th Super Bowl title. It was one of the most amazing receptions in Super Bowl history, as he had to balance himself and make a tip-toed, far-reaching catch!

In April, after a number of off the field issues including a violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy, the Steelers traded Holmes to the Jets for a 5th round draft pick. Given his Super Bowl performance and some impressive games over his years as a Steeler, the news stunned the sports world. The NFL handed down a 4 game suspension to Holmes because of his substance abuse violation at the beginning of the season. Holmes became eligible to play for the NY Jets on October 11th against the Vikings.

Through twelve games, Holmes had 52 receptions for 746 yards. While those may not be eye-popping stats, it is his ability to make clutch plays that makes Holmes so valuable. Just like the Super Bowl catch that earned him MVP status, Holmes made another unforgettable big play in last week’s divisional game vs. the top seeded Patriots. The game was still close, as the Patriots had just scored to make it 14-11. On third down early in the 4th quarter, Holmes made an incredible TD reception, managing to get his knee down in the end zone while extending his body in an extraordinary display of control and athleticism!

The Jets defeated the Steelers 22-17 in Week 15 at Heinz field. Once again, Gang Green will head back to the land of the twirling “Terrible Towels”. Will Santonio Holmes, the ultimate clutch player, have one of his unforgettable performances that change the outcome of the game? Will his play be one of vengeance, where he stuns the Steelers into wishing they had not traded him? Or will the Steelers shut Holmes down and feel validated by their decision to rid themselves of the controversial WR? Tune in Sunday and watch as Holmes’ intriguing story unfolds in this AFC Conference Championship game!

With less than 4 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter on Saturday, the Pittsburgh Steelers found themselves tied with the Baltimore Ravens. With Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger in charge, was the outcome ever in doubt? The calm, veteran QB gathered the team in the huddle and simply stated, “I’m going down to score. Who is coming down with me?” With that, he and the Steelers put together an 11 play drive that resulted in the game winning TD by Rashard Mendenhall.

The Steelers 31-24 victory earned them a spot in the AFC Conference Championship game next week. This is Pittsburgh’s 4th AFC title game in seven years. They will face the New York Jets at home. The Jets defeated the top seeded New England Patriots yesterday 28-21. After a week of trash talking from Jets head coach Rex Ryan and some of his players, Gang Green backed up their words with their on field play. The key to the game was stopping Tom Brady and the Jet’s defensive strategy did just that – sacking the likely MVP 5 times and intercepting him once. Prior to yesterday, Brady had not thrown an INT in 335 pass attempts.

The Steelers versus the Jets! Game time is 6:30 pm ET Sunday. Make sure to check back this week for the latest news and analysis of what promises to be an exciting AFC Conference Championship!

Meanwhile in the NFC, the Green Bay Packers manhandled the NFC’s top seeded Atlanta Falcons Saturday, defeating them 48-21. We stated before that Packers QB Aaron Rodgers seems to be a man on a mission and he certainly played like one. Rodgers completed 31 of 36 passes for 366 yards and three passing TDs, plus a rushing TD.

Green Bay will travel to Chicago to take on the Bears in the NFC Conference Championship game. The Bears defeated the Seahawks yesterday 35-24. The Bear’s offense overwhelmed the Seahawks and Bears QB Jay Cutler, in his first post-season appearance, threw 2 TD and rushed for 2 as well. Despite a valiant effort by Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck, the Seattle offense simply could not get things going. The question remains – were the Bears that good, or were the Seahawks really that bad?

The Packers and Bears have a long-standing rivalry, dating back to 1921. They have met 181 times, but this is the first time they have are playing for an NFC title. Sunday’s game will air at3 pm ET. We look forward to breaking down this traditional, storied rivalry in the days to come!

Here we go again. For the third time this season, the New York Jets and New England Patriots meet in a game that has as much drama attached to it as a Kardashian reality TV series. Rex Ryan, the brash head coach of the trash talking Jets has led the hype. Jets CB Antonio Cromartie began the pre-game taunting this week when he told the NY Daily News that he “hates Tom Brady” and then called him an “a**hole”. Let’s hope he can be as tough on the field.

For the most part the Patriots have been pretty silent, except for WR Wes Welker who stood before the media this week and shrewdly made references to feet, alluding to Rex Ryan’s recent foot fetish scandal. So the off field antics have been in full force leading up to tomorrow’s 4:30 game. But, let’s take a look at what matters the most – the 60 minutes on the field.

For the Jets to win, they will need to have an effective rushing game that allows them to control the clock and keep Tom Brady off the field. The Jets used RBs LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene last week to pound away at the Indianapolis Colts defense and keep Peyton Manning off the field. That same strategy will likely be used against Brady and the Pats.

Defensively, the Jets will need to find a way to contain Brady. In their last game, where they were defeated by 42 points, the Jets blitzed Brady too often. For the Jets to slow down Brady, they will have to balance their defense a bit more than they did last time. Last week, they kept their safeties deep and presented a base defense to Manning that did not shift until the ball snapped. This ability to disguise their defensive schemes until after the snap of the ball may be the only way to prevent the cunning, intelligent Brady from scoring mega points.

For the Patriots to win, they will count on Brady to lead the way. Brady’s performance this season has been epic – 36 TDs and a mere 4 interceptions. In fact, Brady has not thrown an INT in his last 335 pass attempts.

The last time the teams met, New England handed the Jets a humiliating 45-3 defeat in what was predicted to be a close game. Earlier in the season the Jets beat the Pats 28-14. So with each team having won a game, who will emerge victorious when it really counts? The trash talk by Rex Ryan and the NY Jets leading to tomorrow’s game has been entertaining this week. But come kick off time, all the words in the world cannot change the outcome of the game. While the two teams match up evenly in many areas, Brady and the Patriot offense are simply too strong to contain. We pick the Pats by 14, despite our personal dislike of the beautiful Brady!

Today marks the beginning of a weekend of Wild Card matchups. At 4:30 pm ET, the New Orleans Saints visit the Seattle Seahawks. Later, the New York Jets meet the Indianapolis Colts in an AFC Wild Card night game (8 pm ET). Tomorrow, the Baltimore Ravens take on the Kansas City Chiefs at 1. But in our opinion, the most exciting matchup of the weekend takes place tomorrow at 4:30 when the Green Bay Packers travel to Philly to face the Eagles. We will look at Sunday’s matchups later, but for now here’s our take on today’s games.

NFC Wild Card Game- Saints vs. Seahawks

The 5th seeded, 11-5 Saints enter the game as defending Super Bowl champions. The Seahawks have a losing record (7-9), but having won the weak and pitiful NFC West, are the fourth seed and earned home field advantage. It is the first time that an NFL team with a losing record enters the post-season. The two teams played each other in Week 11, with the Saints winning 34-19.

Much attention has been focused on how the Saints’ two leading rushers will be missing due to injury. It will be up to Reggie Bush and Julius Jones to step up (literally) and get a running game established. While the running game may be diminished, there are plenty of other offensive weapons for Drew Brees to work with. This season, the Super Bowl MVP has thrown for even more yards than last year. Although Brees has more than twice the interceptions he had a year ago, we think wide receiver Marques Colston will make some big plays and help the Saints earn a victory.

The Saints have a 0-3 record in playoff games when the game is played on their opponent’s home field, while the Seahawks hold a 4-0 record in the post-season for games played at home. While these are interesting facts, it is unlikely to impact the game. The Saints should easily dominate this game.

AFC Wild Card Game – Jets vs. Colts

Last year the two teams played each other in the AFC Championship game, with the Colts winning 30-17. Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan made it clear this week that today’s game against the Colts is personal, especially with Peyton Manning. The outspoken coach seemed bothered that so much was written this week about how Manning has dominated him over the years. Ryan said,

I’m not the only coordinator or person that Peyton has ever destroyed. I think it’s written that I’m his punching bag. Mine at least has some arms on it. Some of these other guys he plays, don’t have any arms on them. I plan on swinging back. We’ll see how that works out this week.

Today’s meeting features two very different teams than last year’s AFC Championship game. The Colts roster is missing some of its most talented names who were key to last year’s victory. TE Dallas Clark and WR Miles Austin, two of Manning’s “go to” guys, are on injured reserve.

Meanwhile, the Jets have added new players and appear to have more offensive talent than last year’s team. WR Santonio Holmes was not on the Jets last year and will be a critical factor in a Jets victory. Holmes caught the game winning TD in Super Bowl XLIII and was named Super Bowl MVP. Clearly, he is capable of making a clutch play when it is most needed. If Mark Sanchez does not have any issues with his sore throwing shoulder, look for some big plays between the QB and Holmes.

The Jets defense appears to be less strong than last year’s team. Jets starting safety Jim Leonhard is injured, leaving corner backs Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie to handle the Colts’ remaining receiving corps – Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon and Jacob Tamme. Revis and Cromartie will pose a threat to Manning’s outside passing game, but throwing down the middle of the field could prove to be a real problem for the Jets defense with Leonhard missing. Jacob Tamme may be Manning’s main target today and may be one of the keys to a Colts’ win.

The bad news this season has been the Colts weak run defense, ranked 25th in the NFL. The last four weeks, however, the Colts have shown an ability to contain some big name running backs. It will be interesting to see if they can continue that momentum. Jets RB Shonn Greene will likely get most of the carries today. As Greene pounds away for yardage, the Jets will be able to control the time of possession, thereby keeping Manning off the field.

Controlling the clock may be the only true way to stop Manning. This week, however, when asked how Manning can be stopped, Jets Coach Rex Ryan said, “Maybe hit him in the head real hard. That could be one way. We haven’t tried that yet.” One thing is for certain – Rex Ryan sure likes to talk. He has talked about winning the Super Bowl this year, long before the season even started. This week, he talked at length about Manning and the Colts. Today will determine if he and his Jets are able to back up their off the field “tough talk” with their on field play.

With a multitude of Indy injuries in the receiving corps and a struggling running game, Manning undoubtedly has carried the fate of the Colts on his shoulders all season. Today, he again holds the key to their destiny. If Jets Coach Rex Ryan believes his brash personal comments targeting Manning will intimidate him, he is foolish.

The Jets may actually have more talent than the Colts in this year’s contest. But Peyton Manning is simply a master of the game. Even with his depleted roster, Manning once again found a way to make it into the playoffs. He passed for 4700 yards this season – a career high. In the end, Manning’s unparalleled determination and ability to tear apart opposing defenses will prove to be too much for Ryan and the Jets, no matter how much tough talk they engage in.